Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
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Hello world!
“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl
Hello world: Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Respite Reminder: I’m Taking My Advice. Will check occasionally. Back soon!
Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
This is a Lifestyle/Motivational blog offering an eclectic mix of mirthful and motivational pieces: Life Tips / Advice, Affirmations/Wellness, Women’s Lives, Food, Travel, Interviews, Inspirational posts, Reviews, Peace, AND Social Media ruminations on people, places, and events that shape our lives. That said, I invite you to stay awhile, read some posts, and share your thoughts with this growing online blog community.
I started this blog 15+ years ago, as a way to help agents/staff at the company I worked for stay motivated. This was my first blog post on this site, hence the dodgy title. After the market crashed and we were downsized, I decided to keep it going. Therefore, the main goal was, and remains, to encourage myself and others to keep moving forward. It has been a long and rewarding journey.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
Over the years, I have learned a lot about blogging, its many positives, and pitfalls, and how important it is to stay focused on our own Why or raison d’être. We can choose to focus on one of the fundamental rules of blogging which is to make connections with others by adding value through our message/content, comments, and social interactions. We can also choose to turn our attention elsewhere. It is entirely up to us.
Nevertheless, one thing I know for sure is that if your heart is invested in what you blog about, you will stay the course. Remember to stay true to who you are and why you blog. It can’t just be about monetization. Add value. Help others. Stay Encouraged.
Another thing I know for sure is that we all want to be heard, appreciated, and respected; I know that empowering messages are far more appealing than incendiary angling for blog attention. If your blogosphere surfing brings you here, relax, kick back, and share a positive tidbit on your worldview.
HOW DO WE STAY MIRTHFUL AND MOTIVATED?
Read more…
“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” Dr. Maya Angelou
Motivation Mondays: Reflections On A Happy New Year!
Motivation Mondays: Reflections On A Happy New Year!
Prayer: May 2026 be rich with promise, fulfilled dreams, and God’s abundant blessings and grace. May this year bring you clarity, fresh motivation, and new opportunities. Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, and productive year!
NEW YEAR
NEW YEAR: A Happy New Year to You and Your Loved Ones! – Time truly flies by when we are busy living through the ups and downs of life. It seems like only yesterday when I posted a happy New Year message. Can you believe that was in 2022? Four years ago! I didn’t abandon my beloved blog. I went on an extended hiatus that led me in other directions, including some travel, attempts to create new work, more marathon running, and connecting with a new circle of people/friends in my ever-growing local community. I will share more on that in a future post.
From time to time, I would check in, tweak a few old posts, read some comments, and have the Happiness Engineers fix any issues. I thought about the old days when I banged out weekly posts and how much effort went into what so many people do online. I paused, weighed the commitment, and parked my thoughts until today. To start this new year, I have decided to share 5 quotes, 5 prayers, 5 poems, and some words of wisdom (4 Life Principles/12 Life Tips) from my Beloved Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi.
Poem: To the New Year – By W. S. Merwin
With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morningso this is the sound of you
here and now, whether or not
anyone hears it, this is
where we have come with our age
our knowledge, such as it is
and our hopes, such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible via PoetryFoundation
“May the new year be one in which peace and happiness dance across the world. May we be able to realise a meaningful 2026—one that brings us closer to our goal. May divine grace bless all my children to achieve this.” Amma
Motivation Mondays: Reflections On A Happy New Year!
Motivation Mondays: Reflections On A Happy New Year!
Prayer: May 2026 be a year of great hope, growth, peace, fresh starts, fruitfulness, and purpose, bearing much fruit in all areas of our lives.
PEACE & PRAYERS
PEACE & PRAYERS: In Amma’s New Year Satsang from Amritapuri, India, she shared 4 Important Life Principles and 12 Tips to Live by in 2026 and beyond. Given the current state of affairs globally, we need to be acutely aware of the role each of us plays in contributing to peace or chaos. It all begins at home, in our hearts and in our heads. Amma’s four principles are everyday, commonsense ones, because we need simple reminders on how to share this world/planet. Her twelve tips offer great food for thought, and all are doable, actionable, and reasonable. Read them. Digest them. Share your own tips in the comments, as I’d love to hear your feedback.
4 Key Principles: Awareness. Compassion. Effort. Surrender to God.
12 Life Tips: 1. Since time cannot be saved to use in the future, use it with utmost care. Create a daily routine/schedule and follow it sincerely.
2. Write down your negative tendencies and shortcomings on a piece of paper. Set aside one specific day a week to consciously work on controlling each one of them.
3. Compared to yesterday, try to bring a little more maturity and excellence into at least one aspect of your life today.
4. Every day, spend some time cultivating awareness of nature. Imagine that you are loving the entire creation.
5. Awaken the selfless love within you and allow it to express itself daily. Take care of at least one plant.
6. When praise or insults, victory or defeat come your way, reflect deeply and remind yourself: “In truth, I am beyond all this.”
7. Cultivate the virtue of forgiveness – make an effort to forgive and forget the mistakes of others and try to correct them with understanding. Just as when a child makes a mistake, adults know that it is due to ignorance and guide the child gently. Forgetting may not always be possible, but correction should be attempted. Sometimes, people say, ” He is too foolish, ignorant, and immature. I let him go, Amma.” Falling into others’ foolishness reflects our own lack of maturity. These tendencies exist in everyone – at times even in us. Look within and ask whether these traits do not arise in you as well.
8. Every day, spend at least a little time performing your actions with complete awareness.
9. Use natural resources carefully and responsibly. In life, place greater importance on what you have given rather than what you have received.
10. Practice humility and simplicity. Respect the views of others and move forward through cooperation. There will be times when cooperation is impossible; when dealing with such people, remain patient. If you see that continuing will only weaken you, there is no harm in stepping aside and creating a gap in your interactions with them. You may ask, “Why should we endure everything?” First, stand aside and look into yourself. Then perhaps acceptance of others may be possible.
11. Each day, spend a little time remembering the form of the Guru/of God. Then sit quietly and observe your own nature.
12. Cultivate gratitude for the good you have received in your life. Take responsibility for your own mistakes, hardships, and losses. What we need is not a mind that is content with a narrow outlook but a broad mind that moves forward steadily without faltering. Work on them.
Poem: Burning the Old Year – By Naomi Shihab Nye
Letters swallow themselves in seconds.
Notes friends tied to the doorknob,
transparent scarlet paper,
sizzle like moth wings,
marry the air.So much of any year is flammable,
lists of vegetables, partial poems.
Orange swirling flame of days,
so little is a stone.Where there was something and suddenly isn’t,
an absence shouts, celebrates, leaves a space.
I begin again with the smallest numbers.Quick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves,
only the things I didn’t do
crackle after the blazing dies. Via PoetryFoundation
Continued Below Read more…
REFLECTIONS: Happy New Year! #stayhealthy
“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not.” Virgil Garnett Thomson
REFLECTIONS: Happy New Year! #stayhealthy
REFLECTIONS: Happy New Year! #stayhealthy
HAPPY NEW YEAR! – Have you moved on to focus on plans for 2022 with nary a thought about the year that ended? It would be wise to spend a little time reflecting on the past as we plan for the present. As the old African saying goes, “He who doesn’t know where he is going should at least remember where he came from.” Why is this important? Because the past can influence the present and shape the future. That said, we are co-creators of our lives, and taking actions that uplift us can make a huge difference. Last year, I took an extended break from blogging to focus on work, family, and my overall well-being. There were a lot of demands on my time and energy as I continued to manage several social media groups I created and belong to, as well as focus on my training/running plans for the year.
What Did You Do in 2021? I had wanted to run the NYC marathon for many years but could never find the time or make the necessary training commitment. When my mother passed away in 2019, I decided that it was time to honor a dream I held dear and to do it in her honor as well. Covid19 derailed my plans in 2020, and so when NYRR reached out in April 2021, inviting me back to train for the marathon, I jumped at the chance. Now, let me say that I was never a professional runner or a college star. I have always been athletic and used to run for leisure in college and grad school, but I have always been an average athlete with aspirations to achieve personal goals.
What’s the Story? After getting married in 1992, I set my running aside to raise my twins. So, getting back to running was a rekindling of an old relationship with many changes with age and time. Nevertheless, I stayed with the pretty demanding training last year, and I completed three marathons as a newbie marathoner. My first was the Boston Marathon, then the New York marathon, and finally the Philadelphia marathon. My three medals are in the 1st collage photos below. Amazing right? And humbling. If I could do it, so can you. I was focused, disciplined, mentally and physically ready to run my first marathon (Boston). My goal was to finish, and with each marathon, I learned something new about myself. The training was rigorous, but I stuck to it.
Are You Ready for Change? I am acutely aware that anything that matters takes time and effort. We must commit to it and then do it over and over again. We will fall, fail, and even get furious, but we must get up and get back on track daily. There is no magic bullet, especially if you want to make a lifestyle change. Could you do it? Are you ready for a life-affirming shift in 2022? Decide and then do it.
According to the folks at my favorite running magazine, Runner’s World, below are some excellent tips to keep in mind if part of your staying healthy plan includes running. Give it a try. You might develop a love for the sport or, like me, rekindle an old relationship you had with it.
Coach Jess: 22 Running Do’s and Don’ts for 2022
✅DO track your mileage. Don’t obsess over your watch.
✅DO sign up for a race that scares you. Don’t sign up for something just because everyone else is doing races.
✅DO schedule your runs ahead to increase the odds of getting out the door. Don’t beat yourself up if other obligations interfere with your run plans.
✅DO prioritize rest, fuel, mobility, and recovery. Don’t count calories.
✅DO find running buddies and organize runs with friends. Don’t be afraid of solo runs—they’re a fantastic time to process thoughts, feelings, and emotions!
✅Make sure to have proper, feel-good running shoes that fit your feet. Don’t buy the latest “the” shoes because you see them on fast friends or social media.
✅DO support others’ accomplishments and goals, and let that be inspiration and fuel to continue to work hard on your own running goals. Don’t waste time or energy comparing yourself to others.
✅DO play some pump-up jams that excite you and get you excited to run. Don’t allow a negative attitude to make you think about why you’re dreading it.
✅DO run even if you don’t feel like it. Don’t run when you’re injured.
✅DO use social media as a healthy tool to stay connected to other runners. Don’t get caught up in endless scrolling and wasting precious time.
✅DO incorporate speed work. Don’t increase your intensity too quickly.
✅Experiment with various fueling options in your long run until you find what works best for you. Don’t do this on race day.
✅DO listen to podcasts that motivate you while on the run. DON’T entirely block your hearing, especially at night!
✅DO smile at passing runners — who know what kind of day they’re having! Don’t run in the bike lane.
✅DO visualize success before your workouts and on race day. Don’t stress about performance and the elements beyond your control.
✅DO throw on a hat if there’s a chance of rain. Don’t sit back down on the couch like a wimp if you see raindrops. (Lightning is a different story)
✅DO take 5 minutes to cool down and stretch after a run properly. Don’t go straight to lounging after a long run, then wonder why everything hurts later in the day.
✅DO a mile time trial just for the fun of it. Don’t drink a beer between each lap! (But if you must do a beer mile, good luck, and don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
✅DO incorporate regular strength training into your training.❌ DON’T lift before a running workout.
✅DO keep a running journal. Don’t toss it altogether if you’ve skipped a few days! Just get back at it.
✅DO look ahead to new opportunities. Don’t spend time comparing yourself to a younger you. Eyes ahead!
✅DO challenge yourself and set new goals to accomplish this year. Don’t take yourself too seriously and lose the joy of running!
“Always keep a positive attitude towards life. Optimism is a great tool to eliminate agony from life” Amma.
REFLECTIONS: Happy New Year! #stayhealthy
REFLECTIONS: Happy New Year! #stayhealthy
What Did You Do To Start 2022? For starters, like so many people around the world, I stayed up to welcome the new year with family and watched the proverbial ball drop at Times Square. I did it from the comfort of my living room. I thanked my Creator for another year of life and celebrated the new day by dancing and thanking God. Yes, I did. At 8:30 am, I was back at my remote job doing vital work to help stem the spread of Covid19, and for that, I am also very grateful.
What Else Did You Do? Later in the day, I did a quick stop at Whole Foods to get a few of the missing food items on my lucky food list below. I prepared a beans dish and enjoyed the evening eating and relaxing. I don’t eat meat, so I skipped the pork but, you know, it’s all good. These foods are intentional, and we can affirm the new year in any way we see fit. Just develop a positive outlook on life and trust that your decisions will become more apparent and robust. Below are 10 Lucky Foods to eat in the New Year. It’s never too late to enjoy them, so get some.
• Black-eyed beans or Lentils for prosperity
• Buttered bread for nourishment (Ireland)
• 12 Grapes/Raisins before midnight (New Year’s Eve) for great fortune (Spain)
• Greens like Spinach, Kale, and Collards remind us of green money and health and drive away evil spirits
• Pork as a way to stay focused in moving forward with our goals and desires.
• Long Noodles offer longevity, and eating an unbroken long noodle is extra luck. (Asia)
• Cornbread – the sweet, sunny, yellow, satisfying food augurs prosperity on all fronts.
• Round Foods – desserts, citrus fruits, wave off the old and welcome the new into our sunny lives
• Whole Fish on New Year’s Day is a sign of great prosperity. Fish is a prosperous symbol in Asia
• Chocolate is always great as a digestive and a luxury treat, signifying a year of pampering.
What Will You Do in 2022? One thing is clear, I will continue my running training, and I’m signed up to run the NYC marathon this year with Team for Kids. (more on that later). That said, I still believe that five essential areas of life help keep us balanced, focused, and content. As I’ve shared in a previous post, my five “areas of life” this year will include
FAMILY: Our family is essential to the journey we take, and we return to them, again and again, for validation and victory. Remember that the word family includes more than the traditional definition of family. It consists of supportive configurations we lean on for strength and assistance.
FRIENDS: An African proverb says, “He who has wealth has friends, but he who has true friends has divine and abundant wealth.” So thank them and show you care. Be a true friend back. Pay it forward and make some new ones too.
FAITH: Whatever our faith, there is much to be celebrated and thankful for. If you have a faithful practice that brings peace and inspiration into your life, shore it up by visualizing the outcomes you expect and then channel your energy into completing the tasks that will make your goals a reality.
FOCUS: If you slip up, refocus. It is essential to develop clarity about what we wish to accomplish and why. Behind every disappointment is an opportunity for renewed effort and phenomenal success. Don’t give up; rein in the negative mental backtalk, and fix your eyes on the price.
FUN: Motivation without mirth is pointless. Remember to factor in some fun time this year as it will guide you to your muse and lead you to all those fantastic places where rewards await you, just like you dreamed.
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for JAN 2022 – DEC 2021 are:
JAN
01/01 – New Year’s Day, 05 Nat’l. Screenwriters Day, 06 Epiphany
01/09 – 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day, 13 iHeartRadio Awards, 14 Orthodox New Year,
01/16 – 16 Religious Freedom Day, 17 Martin Luther King Jr Day, 17 Winnie The Pooh Day, 21 Nat’l. Hug Day
01/23 – 24 Int’l. Day of Education, 27 Commemoration Victims of the Holocaust,
01/30 – 31 Grammy Awards
National Mentoring Month, National Glaucoma Awareness, Cervical Health Awareness Month, National Blood Donor Month, Birth Defects Prevention Month, National Human Trafficking Prevention, National Stalking Awareness Month
DEC
12/01 – World AIDS Day, 11/28-12/06 Hanukkah contd, 03 International Day Of Persons With Disabilities,
12/05 – 05 International Volunteer Day, 07 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance, 10 Human Rights Day/Week
12/12 – 12 International Day of Neutrality, 15 Bill of Rights Day, 17 Wright Brothers Day
12/19 – 21 Start of Winter (Winter Solstice), 23 50th Anniversary Of National Cancer Act Of 1971, 25 Christmas Day
12/26 – 26-01 Kwanzaa
Universal Human Rights Month, Safe Toys and Gifts Month, National Impaired Driving Prevention
Continued Below Read more…
“Who sat and watched my infant head, When sleeping on my cradle bed, And tears of sweet affection shed? My Mother.” Ann Taylor
Motivation 2021: Mother’s Day #mothersday
Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all. Oliver Wendell Holmes
Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws. Barbara Kingsolver
When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. Sophia Loren
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Mother’s Day is a special day we celebrate this month too. It’s been a while since I posted because life has been incredibly hectic behind the scenes. The pandemic changed our lives in so many ways, and learning to go with the flow is imperative. I decided to make the extra effort to add a post because both topics matter to me… Taking care of our mental health and nurturing ourselves are two crucial steps we all need to take during this season. While many of us have gotten vaccinated, we are not entirely out of the woods with Covid19. It rages on in many parts of the world, and our prayers, support, and vigilance are required. The confluence of Mother’s Day and Mental Health Awareness is significant because both are about nurturing and healing ourselves. Both demand compassion, patience, and support. Let’s lift the stigma and seek the care we need. How are you coping? How are you nurturing yourself and your loved ones? How are you protecting your mental health?
READ: 2009 – For My Mother… and Father – Love’s Vacuum Filled
2010 – Oprah’s Gift: An Inspired Mother’s Day Weekend with Oprah
2011 – Sprinkles of Love: Happy Mother’s Day!
2012 – Inspiration: Happy Mother’s Day…
Musings: In My Mother’s Garden…
After a While Attributed to Jorge Luis Borges
(revised and copyrighted by Veronica Shoffstall)
After a while, you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
That kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child
And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid-flight
After a while, you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers
And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn, and you learn
With every goodbye, you learn.
My Mother by Ann Taylor
Who sat and watched my infant head
When sleeping on my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My Mother.
When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.
Who taught my infant lips to pray
And love God’s holy book and day,
And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother.
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who wast so very kind to me,
My Mother?
Ah, no! the thought I cannot bear,
And if God please my life to spare
I hope I shall reward they care,
My Mother.
When thou art feeble, old and grey,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
My Mother. Poem by Ann Taylor via poemhunter.com
“Mothers have the ability to liberate by love or, by neglect, to imprison. They’re our first teachers; they are our first loves.” Dr. Maya Angelou
Motivation 2021: Mother’s Day #mothersday
Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. Sophocles
Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. Kahlil Gibran
I remember my Mothers prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all of my life… Abraham Lincoln
God may be in the details, but the goddess is in the questions. Once we begin to ask them, there’s no turning back. Gloria Steinem
Happy Mother’s Day: When I think of Mother’s Day, my memories are of events and conversations shared with family and friends with a few strangers added to the mix. Mothering is not always easy, so those memories are equally mixed with sadness and joy, elation and deflation, pleasure and pain. My Mom was an avid gardener, and her gardens were rich with vibrant colors and teeming with life. Mom had her challenges, too, and bore them with grace. Another bittersweet aspect of Mother’s Day for me is that my Dad passed away on the 9th of May. So even though it’s been over a decade, every Mother’s Day brings back memories of his influence on my life. I miss them both.
As a mom, I’ve inherited some of my Mom’s ways and struggled to let go of other aspects of that inheritance. As we grow into our own version of Motherhood, we see glimpses of the past, and we come to recognize how we have become our mothers in so many ways. We strive for the best version of that vision and surrender the rest to the universe. It is a precious job, and for that, I celebrate all Moms this month. What memories do you hold dear? What memories do you let go of? Enjoy the posts and poems I’ve added above and below. May they speak to your heart as they have spoken to mine.
READ:- 2013 – Reflections: 100 Is The New 78…
2014 – Reflections: Happy Mother’s Day
2015 – Motivation Mondays: APPRECIATION
Save The Children: State of the World’s Mothers Report 2015
2016 – Motivation Mondays: Mother’s Day
My Mother Kept A Garden by Kelly Z.
My Mother kept a garden,
a garden of the heart,
She planted all the good things
that gave my life its start.
She turned me to the sunshine
and encouraged me to dream,
Fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem…
And when the winds and rain came,
she protected me enough-
But not too much because she knew
I’d need to stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example
always taught me right from wrong-
Markers for my pathway
that will last a lifetime long.
I am my Mother’s garden.
I am her legacy-
And I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me.
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for APR – MAY 2021 are:
APR
04/01 –
01/10 –
01/17 –
01/24 –
01/31 –
National Poetry Month, National Sexual Assault Prevention And Awareness, National Autism Awareness, Stress Awareness Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Fair Housing Month
MAY
05/01 –
05/09 – Mother’s Day (USA),
05/16 –
05/23 –
05/30 –
Mental Health Month, Lyme/Lupus Awareness Month
Continued Below Read more…
